Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-06-07
Pooling with a panthe.

ssVner removed to this
s,. rom New England and settlsa
aoout three miles from Mad;soa sr,
i..e.s was a village then ana ns
eiial'i one at that, and / ran'a
once seeing a deer running down thr
nam street with dozen do,s .no
nun. The road from the vii. ss'.er
OUT clearing was little better tha W
pain. There were only two sn q
was I ~ OK and wagons, and SO there
adas ' ~ y, use Tor roads. Just at the
was sn1 WOODS outside the VILLAGE
r ras q Jog barn belonging to a store.
i hueper named Roberts. That was the
,"ss building we passed going homs
AZ ehe Lrst one come to as we enter
81 .ne village clearing. From that sta
. ple oo my fathers house, three niles
mere was only one break in the forsst
anu mat was only a ten-acre clear;r,a
Alter having passed over the ronts
several times with my father. / was
permitted to travel it alone whers,,a.
any tning was wanted from town. Az
OF Time could have almost fo,lov.
ed the trail with my ewes shut and 7
had no lear OF wolves and r,anthars :
neara talked about, because I woo
l0io that no wild beast ever attacL.
60 people by daylight. 1t was ono nf
the first days OF October thot as ~
was about halfway through the woods
t t; On errand to the village, and the
time being midforenoon, a panther
sprang from the limbs of a largo beech
under which was passing, and alipht-
eu upon the ground beside me. There
was not even growl to warn me Of
ms presence, and he dropped down
beside me as softly as a cat and as
GOOD natured as q rabbit. had
never heard panther described. and.
while suspected this was one Twas not
sure. lie jumped into the path ahead
OF me and began to ziszag back and
Iorth across it, purring all the time
llko cat, and seeming to be highly
pleased when my legs rubbed against
MN. was bit frightened at first
out after lew minutes | made up nv
Hilnd tnat 1t was some animal which
Woula not hurt me, and then we had q
romping time. l would clap my hands
and shout sick emil and the panther
would go skurrying here and there like
young pup, sometimes rolling over
and over on the leaves, and again
making such leaps and bounds as ex-
cited my admiration. When we came
TO level piece OF ground ran race
with him, and when he got in the path
ahead OF me seized the tip of his tail
and hung on and laughed until the
woods rang. On two or three occa-
slons, as the panther was gamboling
about e,he made q clean spring right
over my head
1t was only when wereached the edge
OF the village clearing that suspected
the identity OF my visitor. The near
presence OF other human beings SEEM
ed to anger him, and he snarled
and tore the earth with his
claws. patted him on the back and
smoothed his fur, and he began pur-
ring again and was restored to good
nature. He trotted alongside of me
about hallway to the barn | have
mentioned, and then slipped away
into some fallen timber | had been
quite badly frightened for some min
utes, and now seized this chance to
make Off My movements We're has
tened by the ominous growing from
the timber. and walked off at fast
pace, and was within a few steps OF
the barn when | heard fierce scream
and turned my head and saw the great
cat bounding forward me. The door
o. the barn was partly open. and
without ar instant's reflection
sprang inside and closed it. Before |
could have counted twenty the pan
Their was at hand. Luckily for me it
was strong roueh door, made OF
slabs and well put together The
beae made terrific efforts to get in,
and his sharp claws made the splint-
ers fly as he set them into the wood.
There was no inside fastening, and
had to brace with all my might to
prevent his ingress. He was now
worked up into fury, and | believe
every hair on my head stood on end
as fought to keep him out.
"When the panther found that he
could not get in by the door he
sprung upon the roof. l heard him
as he alighted on the shocks, and,
facing about, | saw there was square
hole in the roof, left for a chi nney
never built. There was nothing to
prevent him from leaping down, and
this was Just what he intended doing.
/ saw his shadow as he peered over
the edge OF the opening, and | was all
ready as his 1.-THE body alighted on
the floor. In two winks | was out
side and had the door pulled to. and
again he was foied. He was mad and
no mistake, and, although | was a
Young boy and almost upset with
fear, | had sense enough left to be on
the watch for him. The caves of the
building were so short that, standing
bv the door, which had button out
side and an old strap nailed to the
inside to pull it shut, | could see the
ridge pole. In two or three minutes
heard the clatter OF claws as the
beast went up the logs, and the mo-
ment half his body showed through
the opening | changed my position to
the insi lie. He came down the root
sputtering and growing. and again
made a fierce attack on the door
was too much orhim, and he again
tried the roof and the chimney hole,
He came down and went out, and
he went up and came III. lie was
at the door snariing in a way to send
shivers up and down my back, when
heard the report OF rifle, ana or
rectIy two men came running up. Inc
men were going to the woods to nunt'
and, although close at hand, the
panther had not noticed them. Ihert
was at that time bounty OF S2o'
think, on a panther's sea- p ana